Devils squander Jennings' 11-K outing

After hitting the cover off the ball but having only one win to show for the four-game weekend Rebel Classic, Lebanon wasted a stellar pitching performance by left-hander Christian Jennings in a 2-1 loss to visiting Cookeville on Monday at Veterans Field.
The Cavaliers scored both their runs in the second inning which started with both Blue Devil errors sandwiched around a wild pitch. The first run scored without benefit of a hit on a sacrifice fly before Cookeville got back-to-back singles.
Lebanon got a run back in the third when Drew Brockette doubled and scored on Gabe Thompson's single to left field.
The Blue Devils stranded an opportunity to win or tie the game in the seventh after getting two men on as the Devils dropped to 11-11 for the season and 1-4 in District 7-AAA.
"What a way to lose," Lebanon coach Tracy Slone lamented. "We make [errors] at crucial times.
"We wasted a great pitching performance. We didn't get any runs when we had a chance."
Jennings allowed five hits and no walks while striking out 11. Both runs by the Cavaliers, who outhit Lebanon 5-4, were unearned.
The Blue Devils will host district-rival Siegel at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Veterans before going to the north Murfreesboro school Wednesday. With three straight district games this week and the two-game Riverdale series last week, [Lebanon dropped the finale to the Warriors 11-1 in Murfreesboro last Wednesday night], Slone had to withhold his best pitchers from the Rebel Classic, thus LHS ran out of hurlers.
The Blue Devils defeated Tullahoma 9-5 for their only victory in the Rebel Classic.
Callen Harrell tossed a complete game, including 11 strikeouts in the victory. Garrett Fanchier had three hits and drove in a run for the Blue Devils. Dexter Cross added a hit with two RBI, Brockette drove in two runs, Thompson knocked a hit and an RBI and Daniel Harrison added two hits and two runs.
Lebanon went down to Sequatchie County 8-5. Ryan Phillips took the loss, tossing 3 2/3 innings and giving up four walks. Jennings knocked two hits and drove in two while Fanchier added two hits.
Fanchier was on the losing end of the battle with city-rival Friendship Christian, which defeated the Blue Devils 8-4 Saturday at Coffee County.
The final loss came against Coffee County 7-6. Brandon Corley allowed four hits and walked a batter in relief to take the loss. James had two hits and Harrison added three knocks and an RBI.

Central succumbs 8-7 in eight
GLADEVILLE — In a season which has produced a mere four wins thus far, Wilson Central has been on the short end of its share of blowouts.
The Wildcats staved off a loss with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday, only to give up the losing run to LaVergne in the top of the eight as Central succumbed to the Wolverines 8-7.
"Can't buy one," lamented Central coach Anthony Ford after his Wildcats fell to 4-16 for the season and 0-4 in District 9-AAA. "We're just trying to get our kids to battle. They played their guts out tonight."
A walk and a couple of singles pushed the winning run across as Nick Goins, the third of four Central pitchers, took the loss.
Trailing 7-4 entering their last at-bat in regulation, the Wildcats got back in it as Ross Strong stroked an RBI triple and got the tying score as Bobby O'Neal broke off first base and got in a rundown with Marty Bell scoring from third.
Central also had a three-spot in the fourth as Brad Collins hit a bases-loaded single which got past the right fielder, clearing the sacks. Andrew Sloan singled home a third-inning run after the Wildcats fell behind 4-0.
Cody Liddle doubled for Central while Strong, Matt Wood and Taylor Mudd singled.
Central will travel to Mt. Juliet on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game.

Tigers outscore Merrol Hyde for first district win
WATERTOWN — Watertown scored early and often Monday and held on to beat Merrol Hyde 8-6 at Three Forks Park for the Purple Tigers' first District 8-A win of the season.
The Tigers led 5-0 through two innings before Merrol Hyde got back in the game with four in the third. But the Hawks never caught Watertown as the Purple improved to 3-9 for the season and 1-5 in the district.
Left-hander Taylor Rowland survived five Merrol Hyde hits and six Watertown errors for the complete-game victory. The sophomore walked one and struck out five. Only one of the runs was earned.
Rowland also doubled home first-inning run. Cory Lasater had two of Watertown's six hits, one of which drove in a second-inning run. Caleb Hughes, Jesse Scott and Justin Martin each managed a hit while No. 9 hitter Ethan Patterson drew three walks, stole three bases and scored three runs. Two Tiger runs scored on wild pitches and two on passed balls.
Watertown will travel to Hendersonville's Drakes Creek Park today for a 4:30 p.m. rematch with Merrol Hyde in a game moved up from May 1.

Commanders crush Gordonsville 10-0
SOUTH CARTHAGE — Friendship Christian wasted little time in dispatching Gordonsville 10-0 in five innings Monday at Crump Paris Park.
The Commanders scored in four of the five innings, including five runs in the second inningas they improved to 9-10 for the season and 5-0 in District 8-A.
Lee Maasen doubled twice and drove in four runs while Wade Mitchell also knocked in four scores on three hits. G.L. Waynick and Stephen Pryor also doubled as the Commanders collected 10 hits.
Brian Cravens was the beneficiary of the offense, allowing four hits and a walk while notching nine strikeouts.
The Commanders were coming off a 1-3 weekend in the Rebel Classic. Friendship lost to host Lincoln County 8-7 and Dickson County 7-6 Friday in Fayetteville. They fell to host Coffee County on Saturday in Manchester before salvaging an 8-4 win over Lebanon.
Friendship will host Merrol Hyde at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Hill gets go-ahead hit, pitches Mt. Juliet past Hendersonville
MT. JULIET — Two things seem certain in baseball – walks will turn into runs and, at least at the youth league and high school level, the pitcher will have the big hit.
Taylor Hill singled home the tie-breaking run in the fifth inning and the hard-throwing right-hander kept Hendersonville at bay with two hits allowed and 13 strikeouts in a 4-2 Mt. Juliet victory Monday night.
Hill [3-2] fell behind 2-0 with singles runs in the first and third innings as both of his walks scored.
"I don't know what the percentages are, but walks always end up scoring," Mt. Juliet coach Mark Purvis said after his Golden Bears improved to 13-7 for the season and 2-1 in District 9-AAA.
In all, it was a typical 9-AAA game. Junior second baseman Lance Harrington had three hits, two of which were RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings. Jeff Murphy singled twice and scored twice while Holden Richmond racked up a single.
"It was a good ballgame, a tough ballgame," Purvis said. "We find a way to win. I guess that's all that matters."
Mt. Juliet will host Overton for a non-district game at 7 p.m. tonight before Wilson Central comes in 24 hours later.